Meet In Your Kitchen | Médoc's Wine and Food at Château Larrivaux
Fine gravel crackled and crunched under my feet, I felt a little dizzy, still overwhelmed by the beauty that I had just witnessed as I drove through the Médoc. If this region were a minimalist painting you'd see a block of green at the bottom and bright blue with white brush strokes at the top, divided by a gentle curve, the horizon. The vines grow in hard parallel lines, covering valleys and hills, and in between you see the most beautiful châteaux, majestic and elegant, the sturdy walls built of bright sandstone reflecting the sun. The grapes are plump, their juices seem ready to burst their skins at any moment, protected by large leaves hanging over the fruits like umbrellas. The region is praised for its food and wine, but its landscapes seduces your senses.
The gravel that I walked on was surrounded by oleander and boxwood shrubs, shaped like pregnant cones. It was a narrow path framing green lawns in geometric patterns, the garden of one of the dreamiest places I've seen in my life, the park of the mystic Château Larrivaux - home of the inspiring winemaker Bérangère Tesseron and her family. The estate is famous for its outstanding wines, thanks to the women who took care of the land since the château's cornerstone was laid on the grounds of Cissac-Médoc in 1580. Château Larrivaux was always in the hands of women, strong women, like Bérangère and the generations before her, her mother, aunts, and grandmother. They are passionate women, they love the family and traditions, and they taught Bérangère the sense of these values. They taught her to create something special at Larrivaux to pass it on to her own sons one day. "I'm just a little person, Larrivaux exists for five centuries, I'm here to take Larrivaux and give it to the next generation. You have to be passionate to work at the château, without passion you can't work here." There's just one problem, the winemaker has four sons. Her brother has a daughter, so the future will show if it will be female or male.
Bérangère's husband, Basile Tesseron, also comes from a wine dynasty, the equally famous Château Lafon-Rochet, just a couple miles further east. Both of them create the same product, the couple exchanges information about the weather, the harvest, but their businesses are separate. The two estates have different terroirs and approaches and therefore create different wines. "Making wine is all about feeling, intuition. I have more merlot, he has more cabernet, our wines are totally different." Château Larrivaux makes full-bodied wines, round, with a lot of fruit. "When I drink my wine, I want to eat something. It's a wine you want to share and finish the bottle."
Bérangère's life can easily seem perfect, like a picture book ideal, but it's tough, making wine is hard work. She learned to love the weather forecast, she has five apps on her phone. "We always think about wine, looking at the sky, thinking if it will affect the wine, that is stressful, but that's a part of the game." Due to the frost in April 2017, she only produced half the amount of bottles that usually fill the estate's wine cellar.
The family loves food and finds relaxation in their charming countryside kitchen inside the château's thick old walls. The worn kitchen table has been there since Bérangère laid her hands on it as a child. When she chops the vegetables from her garden, she has a beautiful view of the peaceful park. Everything in this room has a story to tell, every polished copper pot, every detail seems to have found its place through the twists and turns of life, not through a plan. The château is a labyrinth of long corridors with creaking floors and more rooms than one can count, full of antiques, velvet covered chairs, old paintings and drawings, wooden toys, and a deer head watching the scenes in the green painted living room for centuries. It's a fairy tale turned into a house.
The Tesserons love the French cuisine for celebrating the simple things, fresh fruits and vegetables, good meat and seafood. "When you have your plate in front of you, you know what you're going to taste, and when you have it in your mouth, you recognize all the different flavors." The kitchen plays an important role in their life, the kids who are 9, 7, 4, and 1 year old, love cooking with their maman, cleaning mushrooms or forming meatballs. They also bake chocolate cake on their own, "I never touch anything, but I watch them," says the trustful mother. And when she makes her famous Sunday classic, the family's recipe for Quasi de Veau de Larrivaux (tender veal roast with crunchy bacon topping), the family gathers happily under the ancient tree in the garden, enjoying food, wine, and life.
In the next months, I’ll share many Meet In Your Kitchen features with you that took me to California, Italy, France, and Japan. Thanks to Zwilling for sponsoring these features for our culinary trip around the world!
Quasi de Veau de Larrivaux
By Bérangère Tesseron – Château Larrivaux
Serves 4-5
1 boneless quasi de veau (veal rump roast), about 5cm / 2 inch-thick, 1kg / 2 ¼ pounds
6-8 shallots, thinly sliced
1 large lemon
Around 150g / 5 ounces bacon, cut into small cubes
A handful breadcrumbs
Ground black pepper
Fine sea salt
Preheat the oven to 180°C / 350°F.
Place the veal in a casserole or baking dish, just large enough to fit the meat. Spread the shallots on top of the meat and cover with the bacon. Squeeze the lemon juice over the meat, then sprinkle with the breadcrumbs. Season to taste with pepper and roast for 50 minutes. Add a splash of water and continue roasting for about 10 minutes or until the meat is tender. Let the meat sit, covered, for about 10 minutes before serving. Cut the meat into thick slices, depending on the bacon's saltiness season with a little salt, and enjoy with a glass of red wine.
Can you tell us a little more about the story behind Chateau Larrivaux?
We found out that we have produced wine since 1850, so it’s one of the oldest properties in the Médoc. And it is unusual that it is run only by women. And I have four boys!
So you have a problem!
I have a problem! But I have a brother who has a little girl, so maybe it will be the little girl.
Was there always active wine production here at the estate?
Yes, it never stopped but a long time ago there was not only wine. We had a lot of cows and it is a really big property, so we had different activities. But wine has been produced since the beginning. For us it is a family tradition. When I was young, on Sundays for lunch, we kids would have a brugnon (nectarine) – peaches with some wine and some sugar, and a little bit of water.
White wine?
Red wine!
To introduce the children to the tradition of wine drinking!
Yes, maybe!
Did you like it?
Yes! (Laughing)
Your husband also comes from a family that produces wine…
It’s totally separate. I have my property, he has his property. But it’s a family story. We work together because my husband and I, we have the same problems when we make wine, so we exchange a lot, but it’s totally separate.
Do you ever keep secrets, if you have a really, really good wine, do you keep it from him?
(Laughing) We don’t have the same terroir so we don’t have the same wine. Making wine is really a feeling, and we don’t have the same feeling. I have more Merlot at Larrivaux, and he has more Cabernet at Lafon Rochet. So the wine is totally different – you can’t do the same thing at Larrivaux and Lafon Rochet.
Do you see each other as competitors?
No, no, no.
Do you talk a lot about the weather, about the harvest?
Yes, every day. I love the weather forecast! It’s awful for me now because I have three or five apps on the iPhone for the weather forecast: “Oh my god, tomorrow it’s going to rain 2mm! Oh no, it’s going to rain 5mm!” We are always thinking about wine and everywhere we are, we are looking at the sky to see if maybe it will influence the vines.
Does it stress you?
Yes, but it’s normal when you work in agriculture. You’re always stressed by the weather. It’s a part of the game.
Have you ever considered producing organic wine?
For me, it’s really important to produce wine without or with little pesticides. Because I have four sons, and we live and spend a lot of time at Larrivaux I think it’s important for my kids to be able to come and run in the vineyard and not to be sick after. But for me, organic wine is not the real issue. It’s a step, it’s a good step but it’s not the final issue. The final issue is not to put any pesticides. When you make organic wine, you add cuivre (copper) or bouillie bordelaise (Bordeaux mixture) which is a product you can use in organic wine but it’s not good for the earth. So for me, producing organically is a good step but it’s not the final issue.
So it’s not important for you to get the certificate, the organic certificate, but you also use methods that are used in organic wine production.
Yes, at Larrivaux we prefer not to use a lot of added substances. Sometimes, if you have to use 1 liter of a certain product, we decide to only use half a liter. We accept that we’re going to have some disease in the vine but it’s not a problem. We’re not going to have lovely vines but it doesn’t matter. We want to make a good product but without a lot of bad substances to protect it.
How old were you when you knew you wanted to continue the tradition, when you also wanted to become a winemaker yourself?
When I was young I wanted to be a doctor. So not wine! I studied law at university for four years. In my fifth year, I decided to go into wine law. My aunt was working at Larrivaux but only on the weekends – it was not her principal job. Basile and I got married at Larrivaux in 2005. We went on honeymoon and when I came back, my aunt had a problem and she couldn’t work anymore. I said ok, I’m studying wine, and I want to work in the wine industry but maybe not at Larrivaux. But Larrivaux needed someone, so I decided to stay for a few months… and I never left!
You love it!
Yes. It’s really a passion. When you work on this kind of property, a small property and everything is old, you can’t sell your wine very expensively. It’s not an expensive wine, so it’s very difficult. So you have to be passionate!
How many bottles do you produce a year?
60,000. It depends on the year. This past harvest, we only produced half of what our production normally is because of the frost in April.
Where can people buy your wine? Do you sell it online on your website?
Not on our website, but I work together with some websites, so you can find it online without any problem.
Is there a certain characteristic of the women at Larrivaux? Is there something, when you look at the women before you – and you are a very strong woman – is there something characteristic where you can say, “That’s a Chateau Larrivaux woman?”
Passion! All of my aunts, my mother, my grandmother – the Chateau Larrivaux Woman is a strong woman. They are passionate, they love their family, they love tradition, and they really give me this sense, the family tradition. I really want to make something with Larrivaux to give it to my sons. I think it’s important. I’m a little person and Larrivaux has been here for 5 centuries. So I’m just here to take care of Larrivaux and to…
…give it to the next generation.
Yes!
And what if the next generation is a boy? Is that ok for you if there isn’t a girl?
I only want for my kids to be happy. If I only have one kid, or no kid who loves wine, it doesn’t matter. At Larrivaux, you have to be passionate to work at Larrivaux. If they are not passionate, they can’t work here. So, we’ll see!
What makes the Chateau Larrivaux wine special?
It’s a wine that’s full-bodied with a lot of fruit. Because we have a lot of Merlot, it’s a round and sweet wine. For me, when I drink wine from Larrivaux, I want to eat something. Which is perfect for me because I love to eat (laughing)! For me, it’s a wine you want to share and to finish the bottle.
What is the essence of French cuisine for you?
For me, it’s simple things: good vegetables, good fruits. You don’t have to add a lot of things. For me, French cuisine is when you have a plate in front of you and you know what you are going to taste. And when you have it in your mouth, you recognize the different tastes of the things you have on your plate.
Do you produce your own fruits and vegetables here at Chateau Larrivaux?
Not all of them, but I do have some vegetables, yes. And it’s not organic – I don’t put anything!
That’s organic!
No, it’s more than organic!
Did food always play an important role in your family? Wine was always there, but the food?
Yes.
Did you always cook with the family?
Yes, yes, yes. I always saw my grandmother cooking, my aunt and my mother too. I always saw people working in the kitchen.
What do you love about the Médoc?
The place itself because there are a lot of places in the Médoc. You have the vineyards, but you also have the seaside. You have the countryside, but it’s only one hour from Bordeaux. There are a lot of things to do in the Médoc, but it’s a secret spot for the moment. So it’s great. It’s good for us. You have a lot of things to do in the Médoc – there’s not only the wine.
If you could choose one person to cook a meal for you, who would this person be and what would this person cook for you?
I can only choose one person?
Ok, two! You can choose two.
Two? Ok. Alors… only two?
Ok three! Starter, main, and dessert!
Ok, my grandmother because she makes a huge sort of gougère – it’s a little choux with some cheese. And she makes a big gougère with béchamel and it was delicious! She’s the only person who made this like that. Then, I choose my husband, because for my birthday he sometimes makes paris-brest and I love the paris-brest! I think it’s difficult to have a good paris-brest. So every year I ask him to make one for me.
And one more person for the dessert?
Maybe my mother, to make some profiteroles – some choux with some vanilla cream inside and some caramel on the top. Like a pièce montée. Here at Larrivaux, not every Sunday, but often, we have some choux with caramel.
Do you prefer to cook on your own or with other people?
It depends on the recipe. For family recipes, I prefer to be with my family: my children, my husband, my mother. For recipes I find in a book, I think it’s really important to share them with someone. Everyone has their fashion, they own way of doing things – I think it’s important to learn and to share.
Do you prefer improvised meals or planned meals?
Improvised. I can’t make a recipe and read everything. I always put a little bit, a little more, a little less…
Did you ever cook a meal that was so disastrous that you said I’m never going to cook that again?
Macarons! I’ve never made good macarons! But I want to learn. There is a dessert in Bordeaux – a strawberry macaron – inside you have whipped cream with vanilla and fresh strawberries. It’s very good!
Thank you, Bérangère!
Meet In Your Kitchen I Maria Sinskey's Culinary Take on Napa Valley
The air is hot and dry in Napa, not the slightest movement, it stands still, wrapping the hills and vines in a magical silence.
We first stopped at a lake, Lake Hennessey, on our way to meet the Sinskeys at Robert Sinskey Vineyards. The scene was too peaceful and beautiful, as perfect as a postcard, the calm water spread out in front of us. A man sat at the sandy bank staring into the bluest sky reflecting on the water's surface, I walked through the swaying grass and my film team made jokes about unseen alligators. Later, Maria Sinskey told me that there are rattlesnakes in the area – sometimes it's good not to know the danger around you and enjoy the moment.
I had seen the wines of the Robert Sinskey Vineyards on the menu of some of the best restaurants in San Francisco, friends praised the quality of their reds and whites, so there were enough reasons to pick this particular wine maker in Napa on my culinary trip through California. But what struck me goes beyond an excellent bottle of wine: it's the Sinskeys' philosophy of making honest wine, their work ethics oblige them to take care of their team, who also hold shares of the company and have been with the wine making couple for decades. Maria and Robert create an environment of togetherness, they cherish people, nature and its gifts, they live a good life and share it with the ones around them.
Robert Sinskey was a photographer in advertising, he's an artist, a philosopher, he never went to a wine school, but maybe that's the reason why he makes good wine. It was a call from his father 25 years ago that changed his life, Sinskey senior needed help at his wine business, and young Rob fell in love with his new obsession for grapes and what you can do with them. He turned the 200 acres of premium vineyards into an organic, biodynamic ecosystem at a time when this step wasn't as popular as today, he was a pioneer, inspired by Rudolph Steiner's 1928 "Agriculture" manifesto. Believing that, if you harvest grapes of outstanding quality, you don't actually have to do much, you can let nature do its thing and trust. In that respect, the Sinskeys feel closer to the European than the American tradition of wine makers. Rob says "wine should not be a quick study, but rather, sneak up on you, seduce you, and evolve in the glass and in the bottle. The goal is to make pure wines of character that pair well with cuisine." And now, his wonderful wife Maria comes in.
Maria Sinskey is an acclaimed chef and cookbook author from New York, she's the cooking soul of the winery. She worked at Michelin starred restaurants in France but when Rob won her heart, she moved to Napa and set up her beautiful open Vineyard Kitchen right in the heart of the winery's rustic stone building, next to the wine tasting room. It's not a restaurant, you can only book and enjoy her exquisite culinary compositions along with a tasting experience (a visit and reservation is highly recommended). Maria and Rob follow the same credo: nature is good, trust her, treat her well and you'll be gifted. Organic fruits and vegetables come from the garden, sheep grazing the vineyards provide wool and meat, beehives pollinate the orchards and bring the most delicious honey to Maria's kitchen.
You could call it an utopia, you could call the Sinskeys dreamers, but decades of creating fantastic wine and food with and not against nature that people praise all over the world, living and working harmoniously in a community with love and passion, and feeling - as a guest - the spark of happiness and dedication jump over, would prove you wrong.
Maria spoilt us like kids with her elegant, deliciously cozy comfort food. Her duck confit was a revelation and her herb marinated rack of lamb with sun-ripened tomato and herb blossom salad tasted just heavenly, thankfully she shared the recipes with us.
Check for visits: robertsinskey.com
In the next months, I’ll share many new Meet In Your Kitchen features with you that took me to California, Italy, France, and Japan. Thanks to Zwilling for sponsoring these features for our culinary trip around the world!
Sun-ripened Tomato and Herb Blossom Salad
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Herb Marinated Rack of Lamb with Buttered Green Beans, Roasted Potatoes, and Lamb Jus
By Maria Sinskey
Sun-ripened Tomato and Herb Blossom Salad
Serves 6
Capture the flavor of ripe, just-picked tomatoes at their peak with this simple salad. The sweet tomatoes are gently scented with herb and arugula flowers that provide small bursts of intense flavor. Blossoms can be gathered as herb and arugula plants bolt. If herb blossoms aren’t available use small herb sprigs and leaves instead.
6 ripe garden tomatoes, about 2 pounds, assorted colors and sizes
Extra virgin olive oil
Aged balsamic vinegar
Flaked sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup (a handful) mixed herb blossoms – dill, arugula, basil, chive
Core and slice the tomatoes into ¼-inch / ½-cm thick slices and fork-size wedges. Arrange the tomatoes on a serving platter. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle with sea salt and grind a few grinds of black pepper over. Scatter the blossoms over the top. Serve with simple crisp flatbread if desired.
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Herb Marinated Rack of Lamb with Buttered Green Beans, Roasted Potatoes, and Lamb Jus
Lamb Jus (to serve with the rack of lamb, can be prepared in advance)
Yield: 2 cups (470ml)
1 head garlic, cut in half horizontally
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
2 medium shallots, peeled and sliced thinly
1 cup (240ml) red wine
4 cups (950ml) lamb stock
1 medium plum tomato, fresh or canned
1 3-inch / 8-cm sprig rosemary
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Wrap garlic in aluminum foil and bake until garlic is aromatic, soft and caramelized, about 45 minutes. Reserve.
Heat a 3-quart / 2.8-l saucepan over medium-high heat, then add 1 tablespoon butter. When the butter starts to brown, add the shallot and cook for about 2 minutes until the shallot is wilted and starting to turn golden.
Add the wine and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until wine is almost dry, about 10 minutes. Add the lamb stock, roasted garlic head, tomato, and rosemary spring. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Simmer until stock is reduced by half. Strain the jus into another pan and season to taste with salt and pepper. Reserve at room temperature for up to 4 hours otherwise refrigerate.
To serve: Return sauce to a simmer. Check seasoning, then whisk in the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter until emulsified. Serve immediately.
Herb Marinated Rack Of Lamb
Serves 8
The herb marinade for the rack really perfumes the meat if it is done a day or two ahead of time. The same marinade can be used for many other cuts as well. It is best to remove as many of the herbs and garlic before roasting as they will burn and create off flavors.
2 lamb racks, 8-9 ribs each
¼ cup (60 ml) extra virgin olive oil, plus 2 tablespoon for roasting the meat
4 garlic cloves, unpeeled and crushed
2 4-inch / 10-cm rosemary sprigs, crushed
6 thyme sprigs, crushed
4 rosemary sprigs for garnish
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Clean the rib bones well by scraping off meat and sinew with a small sharp knife. Cut the racks in half so that each has four ribs. Mix together the olive oil, crushed garlic, crushed rosemary and thyme sprigs in a large bowl. Add the lamb and coat well. Grind some coarse black pepper over all. Wrap well and marinate the racks overnight.
The next day prepare the roasted potatoes first, then continue roasting the lamb.
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Remove the lamb from the marinade and scrape off as many herbs as possible.
Heat a large sauté pan over medium high heat and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Season the lamb well with salt; no additional pepper should be necessary, and sear fat side down until golden, about 7 minutes. Turn over so that the fat side is up and roast in the preheated oven for 17-20 minutes for medium-medium rare (120°F / 50°C internal temperature). Let the rack rest for 10 minutes before cutting. Prepare the beans while the meat is resting.
To serve, cut each lamb rack half into 2 equal pieces, two bones per chop, and serve on individual plates or a platter with the roasted potatoes, beans, and lamb jus.
Olive Oil and Sea Salt Roasted Potatoes
Serves 8
2 pounds yellow potatoes, Yukon Gold or similar
Sea salt
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C).
Peel the potatoes and cut into ½-inch / 1.25-cm pieces. Reserve in a bowl of cold water to keep from browning.
Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil, season well with salt. Add the potatoes and boil for 7 minutes until the potatoes are tender. Drain the potatoes into a colander. Make sure they are very dry.
Place the well-drained potatoes in a large sauté pan and toss them with the olive and butter and additional salt to taste. Place the pan in the oven and roast for 30 to 40 minutes until the potatoes are golden and crispy on the edges. Keep them warm.
Buttered Green Beans
½ pound freshly picked green beans or haricot vert
Salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
Trim the stem off of the beans but leave the slender pointed tips. Reserve.
Ready a medium bowl of ice water. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add salt until the water tastes of the sea. Add the beans and cook until tender about 3-4 minutes. The thinner and fresher the beans the faster they will cook. Remove the beans from the pot with a pair of tongs or skimmer and plunge into the bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. When beans are cool, remove from the ice bath and let rest in a strainer or colander to drain.
To serve: melt the butter in a large sauté pan and add ¼ cup (60ml) water. Bring to a boil to emulsify, season with salt to taste. Add the beans and toss until heated through. Remove with tongs to a serving plate. Serve immediately.
Watch my interview with Maria in Napa in September 2017:
Thank you, Maria!
A visit to Reims and the Mystique of Champagne
Paris, Reims and Champagne, I had an exciting start to the week! I was invited by Champagne Jacquart to join a Vins Clair tasting in Reims, the pure, still wines which form the foundation of every Champagne and I was happy to get a little insight into the mystique and the making of this wonderful sparkling drink from the northeast of France.
I was lucky, my trip started with a bright Sunday in Paris. Warm and sunny, it couldn't have been better, I walked down the boulevards, along the Seine passing the beautiful Musée d'Orsay. The charm of this city is contagious, it just puts a smile on my face! I took a rest at a romantic bistro on Rue du Bac in the VIIe arrondissement and enjoyed an amazing Terrine de Canard accompanied by a glass of Sancerre. Life at its best, wonderful! A visit to a boulangerie and patisserie reminded me of my love for the French baking tradition. I left with bags full of bread, a delicious dark loaf and a fine Pain Platine and, of course, some sweets. I'm obsessed with Éclairs au Café, so as soon as I stepped out of the boulangerie, I opened the bag and had a big bite of my favourite éclair. It was delicious, as expected! In the evening, I joined a few other bloggers and journalists at dinner who were also invited to learn more about Champagne. We were all excited about what the next day would bring!
Diane from Jacquart welcomed us to their headquarters in Reims. Her sweet and lively way and her love for Champagne made me curious to find out more about this legendary place. Reims is located in the Champagne-Ardenne region, 130km / 81 miles northeast of Paris. We took the TGV high-speed train and arrived just 40 minutes later! After a short drive we turned into the Boulevard Lundy in the center of historic Reims. We stopped in front of a beautiful villa, with a curved pebble stone driveway surrounded by boxwood bushes. I walked through the iron gates and entered another world! The house, called "Hotel de Brimont", was simply stunning. It was built in 1896 and is surrounded by all the other prominent Champagne houses. In this prestigious neighborhood, a few houses form the center of the Champagne world!
Jacquart's history is different to other big Champagne houses, it was written by a few visionary growers who decided to form a cooperative to launch their own Champagne instead of supplying their grapes to other Champagne houses in 1964. In the late 90's, 3 regional cooperatives of growers united to form the Groupe Alliance Champagne and bought the established Jacquart brand. Today, 1800 growers make up this alliance, all together owning more than 7% of the surface area of the Appelation Champagne, 60 crus (villages) in the Côte des Blancs, Montagne de Reims, Vallée de la Marne and Côte des Bar. 10 of them are classified as Grand Crus and 22 as Premiers Crus assuring grapes from the finest terroirs in the Champagne! It started as a vision and led to great success, the growers holding shares in the brand guide its direction and development!
The grapes used for Champagne are Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay, they ripen on the slight hills, rich in chalk, and make the cuvée, the blend for the Champagne. The secret of each cuvée lies in the composition which is where Jacquart's oenologist Floriane Eznack comes in, she's young but very experienced, open minded and absolutely passionate about her product. Together with her team she finds the right composition for the different cuvées every year, mixing them in graduated tubes, trusting their fine senses to feel the wines' temper and style, to let them express themselves within the blend carefully, without letting a single one becoming too overpowering. It's a science but above all, an art!
Directly after the harvest which is made by 100.000 pickers every autumn, the grapes are pressed separately for each cru and filled in stainless steel tanks. The first fermentation creates the Vins Clairs (clear or still wines) after a filtering process. Around 4 months later, the oenologist assembles the different Vins Clairs to create the cuvée. For example the Cuvée Brut Mosaïque, is made of 50 different wines. I tasted 7 different Vins Clairs at Jacquart and it's hard to imagine how one can develop a memory for so many different tastes! When the right composition is found, the wine is filled in bottles together with a small amount of yeast and sugar. In the following 8 weeks, gas starts to develop in the bottles turning the still wine into sparkling wine. After more than 15 months (or 3 years for the Brut Mosaïque and 5-6 years for vintage wines) in a horizontal position, the bottles are repeatedly shaken for 21 days (the remuage or riddling), gradually tilting the bottle neck down and drawing the sediments into the neck. These sediments are eventually removed by freezing the bottle neck through a quick cooling process. This forms a plug of ice which shoots out when the bottle is opened leaving behind a bottle of sediment free wine. Sealed with a cork the Champagne is ready to be sent into the world!
I learnt so much about Champagne, the grapes, Vins Clairs, I could write about so much more but Champagne is best when experienced personally, the region, its history and of course, the drink as well. So I can only recommend a visit to Reims!
As we enjoyed a wonderful lunch together, Floriane declared that Champagne is the celebration of the moment. I agree!
Here's the wonderful menu we enjoyed for lunch, created by Maison Schosseler in Taissy, and the accompanied selection of Champagne
Oysters in cucumber jelly with Aquitaine Caviar - Champagne Jacquart Blanc de Blancs 2006
Butterflied roasted langoustines, with a citrus and coriander infused olive oil - Champagne Jacquart Rosé Mosaïque
Braised sea bass with shellfish sauce and French garden vegetables - Champagne Jacquart Cuvée Alpha 2005
Finely sliced Comté with rocket - Cuvée Champagne Jacquart Nominée 2002
Apple pear and lemon éclair - Cuvée Champagne Jacquart Demi-Sec
